DIY melted Corona bottles

Written by michelle epperly| 13/05/2017

Turn those Corona bottles into useful pieces of art. (beer image by dethchimo from Fotolia.com)

It may look like just another Corona bottle to be tossed in with the recycling, but to you it is a spoon rest or a small serving tray. With a little know how and the right equipment you can melt a Corona bottle into the right shape to create a useful item. Sometimes it is more fun to create something useful out of that Corona bottle than to recycle it.

Clean the Corona bottle thoroughly and allow it to dry completely.

Cover the kiln shelf with kiln wash. Kiln wash is usually a silica mixture that keeps the bottle from sticking to the kiln shelf in the firing process. Fibre paper can also be used for the same purpose.

Fire or melt the Corona bottle. Place the Corona bottle on its side on the kiln shelf. If you are making a spoon rest you need to place the neck of the Corona bottle on a small piece of bisque clay, this allows the Corona bottle neck to melt with a curve to hold the spoon when finished. Heat the kiln to about 593 degrees C (1100 degrees F) at a rate of about 260 degrees C (500 degrees F) per hour. This allows the glass to adjust slowly to the heat and avoids cracking. Soak or hold the temperature of 593 degrees C (1100 degrees F) for 10 minutes. Continue to heat the kiln to 704 degrees C (1300 degrees F) at 121 degrees C (250 degrees F) per hour and then as fast as the kiln will heat to 801 degrees C (1475 degrees F) and soak and hold for about 10 minutes. Some kilns have a viewing window, the window will allow you to see when the Corona bottle has melted.

Cool the kiln. As fast as possible cool the kiln to 593 degrees C (1100 degrees F). This stops the melting process. When 593 degrees C (1100 degrees F) is reached allow the kiln to cool naturally to room temperature regulating it to about 65.6 degrees C (150 degrees F) per hour. Taking this time to cool keeps the Corona bottle from cracking or breaking due to extreme temperature change.

Tip

Just like some household ovens some kilns vary in temperature and heat consistency and need to be adjusted for lower temperatures and longer soaking and cooling times. If you do not have a kiln you may be able to rent or borrow the use of one from a local art studio or fellow artist.